Public Lands: The Evolution of America's Best Idea

31/12/2024

31/12/2024

Could have lived the Kīlauea life, but there was just too much sandstone in the way!

Navajo Mountain is actually a laccolith. These form when magma rising through the Earth's crust begins to spread out horizontally. The pressure of the magma is high enough that the rock layers above are forced upward, but it never fully erupts, giving the laccolith its dome-like form. (And yes, we know that is a different kind of volcano than Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.)

Navajo Mountain is a precious place to everyone who lives here, so it's probably good she's kept her rounded top. The next time you’re on Lake Powell and you miraculously have cell service, it is most likely because of the antennae towers on top of this magnificent landform. You can see Navajo Mountain from many nearby parks as well, if you are at Bryce Canyon National Park or Grand Canyon National Park or anywhere in between, ask a ranger where the view of Navajo Mountain is today.

Photo: NPS / Kelsey Shores. The clouds behind Navajo Mountain almost resemble a smoking volcano.

31/12/2024

The galaxies above the Alvord Desert in southeast Oregon

"The finest night sky I've ever seen," according to the photographer.

From now until the beginning of the new year, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite starry skies over public lands.✨

Your public lands in Oregon and Washington are home to some of the most pristine dark sky in the world. During this quiet part of the winter season, we’ll travel over the sagebrush seas, snow-capped mountains, serene forests, and awe-inspiring oceans that make up our two beautiful states—all while looking up!

Did you know that reducing light pollution can improve the health and safety of humans and wildlife? Light pollution disrupts our sleep, negatively impacts well-being, disrupts migratory wildlife patterns, and affects the behavior of nocturnal animals.

✨ Get away from light pollution by using this map to find the best spot for galaxy gazing: https://ow.ly/LuYE50UsSlN
📸 Randy Baumhover

31/12/2024

Interested in a first day hike?

Kick off the new year on the right foot! National parks are a great place to begin your new year's resolution of enjoying the health benefits of parks while also admiring stunning winter scenery.

Find tips to plan your hike, plus some yearlong challenges to keep going at: https://nps.gov/articles/000/first-day-hikes.htm

Image: Dappled sunlight hits the snow and trees around a hiker at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California. NPS/Joshua Simas⁣⁣

31/12/2024

Each winter, thousands of elk make the journey to the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming. The Teton Range is the perfect setting for the elk's timeless traditions.

The refuge is a vital stopover for the Jackson Elk Herd.

In the winter, horse-drawn sleigh rides are a truly unique way to view the elk and other wildlife.

Photo by Gannon Castle / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

31/12/2024

A particularly green past rainy season in the Painted Desert. Credit NPS/Stuart Holmes. (hl)

30/12/2024

30/12/2024

The snow continues to pile up overnight at Crater Lake National Park. It looks like there will be more digging out of the we**am.

16/12/2024

A gentle snowfall over the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in southwest Oregon

In 2021, photographer Kyle Sullivan saw an early snowfall on this November hike to Pilot Rock, what is perhaps the most striking feature within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

Pilot Rock rises to an elevation of 5,910 feet and is visible from much of the Shasta Valley in northern California, parts of Oregon's Rogue Valley and the millions of annual drivers on I-5.

It is a volcanic plug mountain, a geologic description for what is left after a volcano erodes away, and is just one of the special areas protected in the national monument southeast of Ashland, Oregon.

The base of Pilot Rock can be reached via a moderate hiking trail that meanders through meadows and old growth forest.

After that, scampering over loose rock and climbing up the steep summit face is when the ascent gets difficult.

But the views from the top are worth it.

📸 Kyle Sullivan

📍 Visit: https://on.doi.gov/2E7cv7X
📸 Photo & video archive: https://goo.gl/FX1Bk1
❓ Questions? Ask the Medford District: https://on.doi.gov/395hVQ2

13/12/2024

In this 1939 photo from the Lolo National Forest, two men are working a Bosworth Trenchers on a fire near Lolo According to the National Forest Service, in 1934 Jim Bosworth wrote to the Regional Forester that he had a "wild theoretical idea" of a "power trench building machine" for use in digging lines around wildfires.
It had a couple drawbacks, especially in running on steep slopes. The solution was to hook a chain or rope to the side of the machine and having one or two men hold it up.
"I have never seen anything like it and the whole idea is based on theory, but considering the slowness and cost of trench construction, I believe we are justified in experimenting in some kind of a machine along this line," Bosworth wrote, adding that it "could eliminate some costs in maintaining plow horses in serviceable condition."
The idea gained momentum for about six years, then interest tapered off, based in part on the lack of enthusiasm by those who used them.

13/12/2024

Watching this new "mud rapid" evolve at Colorado River mile 175.1 reminds us that geology is both ancient and happening right now, all day, every day. Plan on scouting & wearing PFDs through this dynamic area.
Photo by Chris Benson, 12/11/2024, 5100 cfs.
For the initial report, see https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/news/news11012024.htm.